diff --git a/internal/bans/admin_test.go b/internal/bans/admin_test.go
index d919772..5afefb3 100644
--- a/internal/bans/admin_test.go
+++ b/internal/bans/admin_test.go
@@ -61,6 +61,35 @@ func TestAdminsBansAreNeverDroppedAndDoNotCountTowardMaxBans(t *testing.T) {
 	wantBans(t, ledger, map[netip.Prefix]int{adminsOnly: 2, both: 1, second: 0, third: 1})
 }
 
+func TestEarlierBansCountABanDroppedAfterAnAdminsBan(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	rules := defaultRules()
+	rules.MaxBans = 2
+	ledger := bans.New(rules)
+	netblock := netip.MustParsePrefix("203.0.113.1/32")
+	other := netip.MustParsePrefix("203.0.113.2/32")
+
+	// An admin bans the netblock for a minute, and it then breaks a limit
+	// twice, each time after its last ban has ended.
+	ledger.BanForAdmin(netblock, midnight(), midnight().Add(time.Minute),
+		"probes for logins")
+	first, _ := ledger.BanForLimit(netblock, midnight().Add(time.Minute), bans.Notes{})
+	second, _ := ledger.BanForLimit(netblock, first.Expires, bans.Notes{})
+
+	// A ban on another netblock fills the ledger, and the netblock's first
+	// ban for a limit, its earliest that is not an admin's, goes.
+	ledger.BanForLimit(other, second.Start, bans.Notes{})
+	wantBans(t, ledger, map[netip.Prefix]int{netblock: 2, other: 1})
+
+	// The netblock's next ban still counts it.
+	third, _ := ledger.BanForLimit(netblock, second.Expires, bans.Notes{})
+	if third.Notes.EarlierBans != (bans.EarlierBans{Limit: 2, Admin: 1}) {
+		t.Errorf("the third ban for a limit has earlier bans %+v, "+
+			"want 2 for a limit and 1 an admin's", third.Notes.EarlierBans)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestReasonOfTheBansSmallwebwafMakes(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
diff --git a/internal/bans/bans.go b/internal/bans/bans.go
index c07b52f..d4e9e88 100644
--- a/internal/bans/bans.go
+++ b/internal/bans/bans.go
@@ -687,26 +687,35 @@ func (l *Ledger) ban(
 }
 
 // earlierBans returns how many bans a netblock with the bans held, oldest
-// first, has had, by cause: the first ban held counts the bans the
-// netblock had before that one, since dropped to make room, and each ban
-// held adds one.
+// first, has had, by cause. Each ban held gives a count: the bans its
+// notes count before it, and one for it and each ban held after it. A
+// ban's count misses a ban dropped after it to make room, and that of an
+// admin's ban added to bans.json without notes misses the bans before it,
+// so each cause gets the largest of these counts.
 func earlierBans(held []Ban) EarlierBans {
-	earlier := held[0].Notes.EarlierBans
+	// fromHere counts ban and the bans held after it.
+	var most, fromHere EarlierBans
 
-	for _, ban := range held {
+	for _, ban := range slices.Backward(held) {
 		switch ban.Cause {
 		case CauseLimit:
-			earlier.Limit++
+			fromHere.Limit++
 		case CauseAttack:
-			earlier.Attack++
+			fromHere.Attack++
 		case CauseAdmin:
-			earlier.Admin++
+			fromHere.Admin++
 		case CauseCrowdSec:
-			earlier.CrowdSec++
+			fromHere.CrowdSec++
 		}
+
+		notes := ban.Notes.EarlierBans
+		most.Limit = max(most.Limit, notes.Limit+fromHere.Limit)
+		most.Attack = max(most.Attack, notes.Attack+fromHere.Attack)
+		most.Admin = max(most.Admin, notes.Admin+fromHere.Admin)
+		most.CrowdSec = max(most.CrowdSec, notes.CrowdSec+fromHere.CrowdSec)
 	}
 
-	return earlier
+	return most
 }
 
 // markChanged has Changed receive a value, unless one is waiting already.